Lytle: We continue playing hockey for the ones we lost

Jul. 11, 2013

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Three players died after contracting meningitis in a hockey game I played in three years ago.

Bill Jubert and Brian Wormus were my teammates June 9, 2010, and we played against Nick Smith.

Our little adult hockey family was shaken as we quickly lost Brian and then Nick a few weeks later. Bill passed away a few months later after a valiant fight.

We played our game the week after the infections occurred, days after Brian died. Everyone arrived early to get the meningitis vaccine. We talked about canceling the games, but we’re hockey players. We play. Those three wouldn’t have wanted us to stop.

Three years later, there are constant reminders of what happened to our friends. There are signs behind the player benches at EPIC reminding players to take caution to prevent the spread of disease.

Our traditional postgame handshake has turned into a postgame fist bump with gloves on. Now out of habit, I keep hand sanitizer in my car to use after being at hockey games or practices (something I do a lot as a player and as the Colorado Eagles beat reporter).

But our most important reminder comes in early August when our league, the Fort Collins Adult Hockey Association, hosts the fourth annual Face Off Against Meningitis.

We played the tournament that first summer, just two months after the meningitis outbreak. It has continued every year, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to raise awareness for the disease and, most importantly, to help the families of Bill, Nick and Brian. All three left behind young families.

The tournament is Aug. 10-11 at EPIC, and the folks from Sierra’s Race Against Meningitis will be there to help awareness as well. For more information visit www.fcaha.org/foam

It’s a fun event and an opportunity for tons of hockey players from all over to come together for one weekend and raise money for our lost friends. I look forward to it every year.

I missed last year’s event after moving from Colorado for work, but I can’t wait to play again.

Every time I play, I still remember how Bill and I would discuss strategy during the warm-up skate. It’s always memories like those that bring you back. There’s not a time I lace up the skates that I don’t think of that game in June 2010.

When the outbreak first occurred, many of us were asked if we would continue playing hockey. It was a fair question. I had my doubts; it was hard to hit the ice without those guys.

But after Bill passed away, I remember talking with his mom after attending his memorial.

She told me to promise her I wouldn’t quit hockey because of what happened.